What are some of your favorite books on the Holy Spirit? Here are some recommendations from D.A. Carson, Danny Akin, Timothy George, Keith Mathison, Sinclair Ferguson, and others.

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

The following books appear on the Comprehensive Reading List for PhD Students in Systematic Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

• Congar, Yves. Je crois en l’Esprit Saint. (ET: I Believe in the Holy Spirit.)
• Fee, Gordon. God’s Empowering Presence.
• Ferguson, Sinclair. The Holy Spirit.

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Danny Akin

Danny Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has recommended the following books on Pneumatology.

• Badcock, Gary D. Light of Truth and Fire of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.
• Bruner, Fredrick Dale. A Theology of the Holy Spirit: The Pentecostal Experience and the New Testament Witness. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970.
• Fee, Gordon. God’s Empowering Presence. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994.
• Ferguson, Sinclair B. The Holy Spirit. Grand Rapids: IVP, 1996.
• Green, Michael. I Believe in the Holy Spirit. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975.
• Grudem, Wayne A., ed. Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.
• Hanegraaff, Hank. Counterfeit Revial: Looking for God in All the Wrong Places. Exp. and updated. Waco: Word, 2001.
• MacArthur, John, Jr. Charismatic Chaos. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.
• Packer, J.I. Keep in Step with the Holy Spirit. Old Tappan: Revell, 1984.
• Turner, Max. The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1998.
• Williams, Donald. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. Nashville: Broadman, 1994.

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Grace Baptist Church

Grace Baptist Church of Cape Coral, Florida (pastored by Tom Ascol) shares on its website the following list of recommended books on the Holy Spirit.

• The Works of John Owen vol. 3, by John Owen
• Keep in Step with the Spirit: Finding Fullness in Our Walk with God, by J.I. Packer
• God’s Indwelling Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments, by James Hamilton Jr.
• The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, by B.B. Warfield
• He Who Gives Life: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, by Graham Cole
• The Holy Spirit, by Sinclair Ferguson
• Joy Unspeakable: Power and Renewal in the Holy Spirit, by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
• The Work of the Holy Spirit, by Octavius Winslow
• The Gifts of the Spirit, by C.R. Vaughn
• The New Covenant Ministry of the Holy Spirit, by Larry Pettegrew
• The Holy Spirit, by A.W. Pink
• The Presence and the Power: The Significance of the Holy Spirit in the Life and Ministry of Jesus, by Gerald Hawthorne

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Keith Mathison

Keith Mathison of Ligonier has recommended the following books on the Holy Spirit.

• Sinclair Ferguson – The Holy Spirit.
• Basil the Great – On the Holy Spirit.
• George Smeaton – The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
• Abraham Kuyper – The Work of the Holy Spirit.
• Graham Cole – He Who Gives Life.
• A. Edward Siecienski – The Filioque: History of a Doctrinal Controversy.
• Geerhardus Vos – The Eschatological Aspects of the Pauline Concept of the Spirit
• R.C. Sproul – The Mystery of the Holy Spirit.

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Sinclair B. Ferguson

Sinclair B. Ferguson used these books in the course entitle The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit that the taught at Reformed Theological Seminary

• Bavinck, Herman. The Certainty of Faith. St. Catharines, Ontario: Paideia Press, 1980.
• Gaffin, Richard B. Perspectives on Pentecost. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1979.
• Murray, John. Redemption Accomplished and Applied. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1955.
• Smeaton, George. The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. 1889. Reprint, Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1974.

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D. A. Carson, Timothy George, R. Kent Hughes, Greg Waybright

And, here are some recommendations for Engaging the Holy Spirit: Real Questions, Practical Answers, by Graham A. Cole which seeks to answer six crucial questions that affect a believer’s relationship to the Holy Spirit:

* What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
* How does a person resist him?
* Ought we to pray to the Spirit?
* How do we quench the Spirit?
* How do we grieve the Spirit? and
* How does he fill us?

“I cannot imagine that there are many pastors who have not heard each of the six questions that Graham Cole raises. Here are serious, careful, practical, theologically alert answers. This book deserves the widest circulation.”
– D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“Pneumatology has been sadly neglected in recent evangelical theology, and when it has been touched upon, it has trended toward either the speculative or the sensational. But here is a book on the Holy Spirit that is practical, relevant, balanced, and useful in the lives of God’s people everywhere. This book provides important grounding for a fuller theology of the Holy Spirit, and I commend it to all believers who are serious about the Christian life.”
– Timothy George, Dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University; Senior Editor, Christianity Today

“Drawing from the well of his extensive and rigorous study of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Graham Cole gives refreshingly clear answers to six crucial questions that earnest Christians invariably ask. The answers are sure to grace the church, because what Christians believe about the third Person of the Trinity will determine how they live. This is an important, accessible, life-giving book.”
– R. Kent Hughes, Senior Pastor Emeritus, College Church, Wheaton, Illinois

“When churches wrestle with division over contradictory views related to the work of the Holy Spirit, this book will provide lucid and succinct guidance. When individuals fear they have grieved the Holy Spirit, Dr. Cole’s teaching will provide clarity and encouragement. When church leaders long for their congregations to know the filling of the Spirit of God, they will find wisdom in this book. I recommend it highly.”
– Greg Waybright, Former President, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; Senior Pastor, Lake Avenue Church, Pasadena, California

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C. J. Mahaney

C. J. Mahaney of Sovereign Grace ministries, who is reformed and charismatic, has recommended the following books on the Holy Spirit.

• Showing the Spirit: A Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians, 12-14, by D.A. Carson
• Engaging with the Holy Spirit: Six Crucial Questions, by Graham A. Cole
• He Who Gives Life: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, by Graham A. Cole
• The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts, by Max Turner
• Systematic Theology, by Wayne Grudem (especially pages 1,016–1,090)
• Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? Four Views, edited by Wayne Grudem
• Perspectives on Spirit Baptism: Five Views, edited by Chad Owen Brand
• God’s Empowering Presence, by Gordon Fee
• The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today, by Wayne Grudem
• The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Gifts, by Sam Storms.

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Abraham Kuyper

In the Preface to Abraham Kuyper’s book The Work of the Holy Spirit, he notes that “The work of John Owen on this subject is most widely known and still unsurpassed.” In addition to John Owen’s three works on the Holy Spirit he recommends the following works.

• David Rungius, Proof of the Eternity and Eternal Godhead of the Holy Spirit, Wittenberg, 1599.
• Seb. Nieman, On the Holy Spirit, Jena, 1655.
• Joannes Ernest Gerhard, On the Person of the Holy Spirit, Jena, 1660.
• Theod. Hackspann, Dissertation on the Holy Spirit, Jena, 1655.
• J. G. Dorsche, On the Person of the Holy Spirit, Köningsberg, 1690.
• Fr. Deutsch, On the Personality of the Holy Spirit, Leipsic, 1711.
• Gottfr. Olearius (John F. Burgius), On the Adoration and Worship of the Holy Spirit, Jena, 1727.
• J. F. Buddeuss, On the Godhead of the Holy Spirit, Jena, 1727.
• J. C. Pfeiffer, On the Godhead of the Holy Spirit, Jena, 1740.
• G. F. Gude, On the Martyrs as Witnesses for the Godhead or the Holy Spirit, Leipsic, 1741.
• J. C. Danhauer, On the Procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son, Strasburg, 1663. J. Senstius, Rostock, 1718, and J. A. Butstett, Wolfenbüttel, 1749. John Schmid, John Meisner, P. Havercorn, G. Wegner, and C. M. Pfaff.

And, he refers to the following which discuss The Work of the Holy Spirit:

• Anton, The Holy Spirit Indispensable.
• Carsov, On the Holy Spirit in Conviction.
• Wensdorf, On the Holy Spirit as a Teacher.
• Boerner, The Anointing of the Holy Spirit.
• Neuman, The Anointing which Teaches All Things.
• Fries, The Office of the Holy Spirit in General.
• Weiss, The Holy Spirit Bringing into Remembrance.
• Foertsch, On the Holy Spirit’s Leading of the Children of God.
• Hoepfner, On the Intercession of the Holy Spirit.
• Beltheim, Arnold, Gunther, Wendler, and Dummerick, On the Groaning of the Holy Spirit.
• Meen, On the Adoration of the Holy Spirit.
• Henning and Crusius, On the Earnest of the Holy Spirit.

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Craig Blomberg

The following books appear on Craig Blomberg’s (Denver Seminary) Biblical Bibliography for New Testament study:

• Deere, Jack. Surprised by the Power of the Holy Spirit. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993.
• Dunn, James D. G. Baptism in the Holy Spirit. London: SCM; Louisville: Westminster John Knox, rev. 2010.
• Green, Michael. I Believe in the Holy Spirit. Grand Rapids and Cambridge: Eerdmans, rev. 2004.
• Grudem, Wayne A., ed. Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? Four Views. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.
• Hamilton, James M., Jr. God’s Indwelling Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments. Nashville: B & H, 2006.
• Keener, Craig S. 3 Crucial Questions about the Holy Spirit. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996.
• Menzies, William W. and Robert P. Menzies. Spirit and Power: Foundations of Pentecostal Experience. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.
• Packer, J. I. Keep in Step with the Spirit: Finding Fullness in Our Walk with God. Grand Rapids: Baker, rev. 2005.
• Stanton, Graham N., Bruce W. Longenecker and Stephen C. Barton, eds. The Holy Spirit and Christian Origins. Grand Rapids and Cambridge, 2004.
• Turner, Max. The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts: In the New Testament Church and Today. Carlisle: Paternoster, 1999; Peabody: Hendrickson, 2005.

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Dennis M. Swanson

And, here is a link to Dennis M Swanson’s bibliography of books on Cessationism.

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